Executive Leadership Team & Management Group

At the Australian Museum we have a two-tiered management structure, comprising:

The Executive Leadership Team of six staff - the Director, the four Assistant and Associate Directors and the Executive Officer

The Management Group - the six members of the Executive Leadership Team plus the Museum’s full complement of Branch Heads

The names of these staff and their short biographies are below. You can also see the Museum’s organisational chart.

Executive Leadership Team

Kim McKay AO
Director & CEO

Kim McKay’s international career in social innovation, marketing, communications and management spans over 25 years. She is an environmentalist, author and international marketing and communications expert and a regular media commentator... read more.

Steven Alderton
Assistant Director, Public Engagement & Culture

Steven has a background in growing audiences and producing innovative exhibitions, public programs and events supported by extensive community engagement. Steven has worked closely with western Sydney and regional communities as the Director of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Director of Lismore Regional Gallery, Director of Bundaberg Arts Centre, and Director of Redland Art Gallery...

Rebecca has a BSc (Hons) in genetics from the University of Sydney and a PhD in the field of molecular evolutionary genetics from La Trobe University. Rebecca has over 17 years experience as a molecular geneticist, including as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, James Cook University, Townsville and Tufts University, Boston USA...read more.

Kate Richardson
Executive Officer

Kate has been in this role since January 2011 after joining the Museum as the Bequest Officer in June 2009. She commenced her career working for the Director of the Powerhouse, planning and integrating the exhibitions with which it opened in 1988... read more.

Paul was appointed Associate Director, Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer on 30 June 2014. Paul started his career with chartered accountants Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) and then moved to working with multi-national and Australian owned corporations... read more.

Tehmi was appointed Associate Director, Development, Communications & Marketing in August 2013. Prior to this she held senior positions working on sponsorship, philanthropy, marketing and communications projects and programs with internationally renowned arts and cultural institutions, including the Biennale of Sydney and the Australian Centre for Photography... read more.

Jason Wong
Head, Digital Online & ICT

Jason joined the Australian Museum in May 2011. He previously held the role of Head of Information Technology in the Australian branches of Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières... read more.

Management Group

Alexandra Boyce
Head, Corporate Partnerships

Alexandra has extensive experience in business development, specialising in negotiating and managing partnerships for large-scale public events and stakeholder management. Combined with a background in event management, sponsorship and sales she has a track record in developing strategies to increase revenue... read more.

Dr David Britton
Head, Natural Sciences & Biodiversity Conservation

Dave has been Collection Manager, Entomology, since joining the Australian Museum in 2003, and Acting Branch Head of Natural Sciences since April 2013. Dave has extensive background in entomology covering research topics such as nutritional and behavioural ecology, insect conservation, and taxonomy of moths and pest management of insects in field crops... read more.

Kirsten Downie
(Acting) Head, Marketing & Communications

A senior manager with a passion for professional marketing, audience development, branding, sponsorship and communications, Kirsten has held leadership positions in... read more.

Christine Callen (on leave)
Head, Marketing & Communications

Christine was appointed as the Head Marketing in October 2004 and is responsible for the Museum’s media, publications, tourism and marketing activities. Christine has over 20 years experience in cultural and academic environments, including work with publications, graphic design and marketing... read more.

Glenn Ferguson
(Acting) Head, Program Delivery, Production & Design

Glenn has been acting Head of this branch since January 2013. He has worked in commercial and museum exhibition and museum design, project and program management for more than 30 years... read more.

Paul has a dual role, recently assuming the position of Head of the Science Services and Infrastructure (SSI) Branch whilst maintaining his role as Manager of Collection Informatics. As Head of the SSI Branch he is responsible for... read more.

Glenn Hodges
Head, Building & Security

Glenn has been Head of Building & Security at the Australian Museum since 2000 and is responsible for building upgrades and maintenance; major plant acquisition and systems maintenance; legislative compliance; energy management and most importantly the security of the Museum’s buildings and collections... read more.

Narendra Mehta
Head, Finance

Narendra is a qualified accountant and member of three recognised Professional Accounting bodies. He has over 25 years of experience in the development of management control systems, business analysis, financial and management accounting, process improvement, and delivering reliable and timely financial advice and information to facilitate strategic business management and meet legislative requirements... read more.

Dr Scott Mitchell
Head, Cultural Collection Conservation & Consulting

As Branch Head Scott is responsible for the Museum’s heritage and ecology services arm (Australian Museum Consulting), it’s ethnographic, archaeological and archival collections, and the Materials Conservation unit. He brings to the role a particular interest in cultural repatriation, collection digitisation and the introduction of more energy efficient collection storage... read more.

George Notman JP
Head, Human Resources

George has led the HR team since July 2002 after transferring from the then Historic Houses Trust of NSW. Before this he spent 14 years in senior roles in the Qantas Group of companies. George has tertiary qualifications and extensive experience in HR and Industrial Relations... read more.

Fara Pelarek
Head, Life Long Learning

Fara was appointed Head, Life Long Learning in August 2013, managing the Museum’s substantial on and offsite education programs as well as Citizen Science initiatives and postgraduate students. Previously, Fara managed the Museum’s Visitor Services unit for 13 years and was responsible for visitor experience and expectation, program offerings and customer satisfaction... read more.

Dr Jodi Rowley
Co-ordinator, Australian Museum Research Institute

Jodi is a biologist with a focus on amphibian diversity, ecology and conservation, and a passion for communicating biodiversity conservation. Her research integrates ecological, behavioural, bioacoustic, molecular and morphological data to uncover and document amphibian biodiversity, understand its drivers, and inform conservation decisions... read more.